Trump to slap new sanctions on Iran, offers new deal as war clouds recede

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a fresh set of sanctions will be imposed on Iran after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US military bases in Iraq and said the US had the best military on the planet armed with the most powerful weapons but it didn’t intend to use it, effectively ruling out any immediate military escalation or threat of war, while offering fresh negotiations to replace the failed 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Speaking from the foyer of the White House, Trump told Iranians that the US was “ready to embrace peace” and the US wanted Iran to have “a great future” as long as it stopped its pursuit of Nuclear weapons and “support to terrorism”.

“We must all work together towards making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place,” Trump said.

Trump also reiterated his position that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon”. Trump’s assertion comes a day after Iran said it would do away with all restrictions incorporated in the 2015 nuclear deal on nuclear enrichment after Washington ordered a drone strike on the commander of its special forces, General Soleimani.

“The United States will impose additional economic sanctions on the Iranian regime. These sanctions will remain till Iran changes its course,” Trump said, virtually ending the fears of a military response to Iraq’s retaliatory strike on its bases in Iraq.

The American President said there was insignificant damage done to American military assets in the attack by Iran.

“No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties. All our soldiers are safe, only minimal damages were sustained at our military bases.

He also defended his targeted killing last week of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.

“World’s top terrorist Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the worst crimes, he trained Hezbollah. Soleimani was planning new attacks on the United States’ assets,” said Trump.

“Solemeini hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood,” Trump said while giving a detailed explanation for ordering the killing of the Iranian commander of the special Quds Force.

He even asked NATO to become much “more involved” in the Middle East region.

Iran’s missile attack on US bases in Iraq was a retaliation to the killing of its top general in a drone strike last week by the US, in a move that was seen as destabilizing the Middle East. Firing of more than a dozen missiles from its territory at the U.S. installations was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.